Sprint Guardian Protects Family Full of Phones for $15 Per Month

Designed to give parents peace of mind, the Sprint Guardian is a unique bundle that combines a family safety service and mobile security in one package. Working hand in hand with partners Lookout Mobile Security and Safely, the $14.98 service covers a family of five and promises 73 percent savings over purchasing each app separately. We spent some time with Sprint hear at CTIA Wireless 2012 to get a breakdown of what you get for your money.

The Family Safety part of the bundle lets you locate your child on an interactive map, lock his or her phone while driving (the phone knows when it's going over 10 mph), and even lock your kid's phone during "family time," such as when you're all at the dinner table. You can also see who your child has been calling or texting--though not the messages themselves.

Safely's technology enables parents to check when their kids arrive at home after school using geo-location (even if GPS is turned off) and set up rules and restrictions. Just because 63 percent of kids text in class, according to Sprint, that doesn't mean your child has to be part of that statistic.

On the mobile security and privacy front, Lookout Mobile Security (our Editors' Choice pick for Android security apps) shields your smartphone from malware and phising attacks, as well as loss and theft. If your phone goes missing, you can have your device emit a loud siren (even if it's on mute) and lock and wipe it to protect your identity. You also get 2GB worth of backup storage, so your precious photos will stay safe even if your handset gets dropped in a toilet. Ah, kids.

So why is Sprint doing this when you can get these apps on your own? One is ease of use. A whopping 82 percent of wireless customers are concerned about safety and security, and yet very few people do anything about it. The other big selling point for Sprint Guardian is value. The carrier says you'll save up to 73 percent with this bundle versus purchasing the apps separately.

Once you download Sprint Guardian, available through Sprint Zone on your device, you'll have a central hub for launching the apps and keeping tabs on the phones covered by your plan. Although we wish Sprint Guardian protected iPhones as well as Android devices, it seems like a pretty good deal. We hope to bring you a full review in the coming weeks.